The British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors’ trade union, has announced that consultants in England will strike on 25 and 26 November.
The BMA argues that the government has made no meaningful commitment to resolving a long-running dispute over the value and sustainability of the consultant role. Its demands cover both pay and conditions: consultants have had real-terms pay cuts of around 25% over 17 years, and the union wants shorter standard hours to reduce burnout and keep senior doctors in the NHS.
In the ballot, 76% of those voting backed strike action, on a turnout just above the required 50% threshold. The BMA says the strike could be avoided if Health Secretary Yvette Cooper commits to formal negotiations on pay and working conditions, while Cooper called the announcement “very disappointing” and said talks had been constructive.
The BMA have been involved in a number of strikes in recent years, mostly for junior doctors, on the same issue of pay.
Strikes by NHS workers serve as a good example that trade union disputes can still occur under a Labour government, who may be expected to be more politically aligned to the aims trade unions. It had been hoped by many in the BMA that a change of government in 2024 would lead to a resolution over pay. However, despite some early progress, the government have been reluctant to move on the issue given the state of public sector finances, and the risk that conceding to the BMA’s demands will simply lead to similar calls from other trade unions for public sector bodies.
The dispute also shows how even an insider group can turn to direct action when consultation stalls.